SILENCE | ATEEZ

1 | Echoes Of Pandemonium

Today is no different, but the army of SWAT officers guarding the barricade seems like they are even more eager to shoot people. The attack starts even before the citizens get to raise their banners, or even get to raise the hand speaker and preach out their disapproval over the establishment of VESTRA that belittles their rights towards Zuhal District. The district that they had grown up in, they refuse to see it taken away from them.

When the command reaches their earpiece, the soldiers didn't waste a second before they started firing bullets towards the crowd full of people. No sense of remorse or guilt held them back, as each bullet they fired pierced through their own blood.

The world has already been separated the moment VESTRA was formed, but seeing your own kind gets absolutely absorbed into the sugarcoat idea of unknown survival some new people in suit had promised them, to see them chose people whom they barely knew over you, safe to say it's a relief that he doesn't have a gun yet.

Bullets start to rain down on them and Mingi grasps his sister's hand as he navigates his way out from the crowd to seek for a place the forces' bullets could not reach them. Safety is the priority against everything for him, especially his sister's. He would go on and on to join the rebellion towards VESTRA and even risk his life for it, but not until it endangers Elenna. Mingi had swore to himself upon the start of the destruction of their district, he would protect her with his life.

His own blood, his only little sister.

They both run as fast as they could but Mingi stops abruptly when he hears the exaggerated raspy breathing coming from Elenna. He didn't even need to turn to find out that she is already getting weaker due to her clogged breathing, Mingi swiftly picks her up onto his back and runs away to the huge ruined wall that only remains as the reminder of their district destruction. It could still be useful to hide from the soldiers getting to them for now, he thinks before finally putting her sister down.

Mingi is quick enough to fetch a blue inhaler in his hiking bag on his back that he uses to keep all the necessities for him and Elenna. He sat her up and put her head rest on his shoulder before passing the inhaler to her.

"Here, quick. Breathe, El. Breathe."

Elenna gasps into the inhaler desperately as she tries to maintain her consciousness. Her eyelids are subtly getting heavier but she doesn't want to trouble her brother with her issues anymore. She breathes as the chemical of the inhaler finally clears the airways to her lungs. Her rapid breathing slowly falters, before she finally leans onto the wall behind them, relief expressed on her face.

"Better ?"

Elenna merely nods, quickly putting the inhaler back into her brother's bag pack. Even the sight of any medical device that does not correlate with the virus can raise suspicions from anyone. They had to be more careful in the things they do, just to be safe and not have fingers pointed at them. The shootings continue, and the panic arising in Mingi continues to elevate too. He keeps Elenna close to his back, shielding her from being seen.

More sweat covers his face as his heart says prayers unconsciously. Part of him regretting his decision that morning by letting Elenna tag along with him to the barricade. He should have known better, everything is not going to change if he brings her with him to do the petitions. Those soldiers don't care about the common people anymore.

Mingi startles as he jolts backwards against Elenna when a person suddenly tumbles right in front of him, frantically scrambling his way up to reach the hidden side behind the wall. Mingi's instinct works faster than he thought as he pulls the individual right before a bomb explodes right after the wall's ruins. All of them promptly duck their head as their hands subconsciously go to block their ears from the loud explosion.

The person writhes in pain as he leans on the wall, trying to catch his breath. With him there's a rifle slung over his body, but the way he dresses doesn't indicate that he's a possible threat to them. Mingi watches his movement slowly as the person slowly brings his knees close to him, inspecting the wound he had acquired.

"Ah, those damn soldiers. One day I might just go and bomb their houses and families instead. Let them know how us common citizens fear of thinking how we are going to crawl to our deathbed every single day."

Mingi keeps his mouth in silence, just as Elenna did when the person speaks, expressing so much criticism and curses along the way towards VESTRA. They only watch until the latter finally realises that he was not alone under those rubbles.

"Shit, sorry. Thank you for saving me just now, I am in debt to you, friend." He says, tone calm as he stretches his hand out. Seeing no response from Mingi, he gradually pulls his hand away as the awkward tension increases between them.

"It's fine, I understand. No one trusts nobody nowadays, eh ? Friend, if I am infected I won't be wasting another second before I start to eat you up," he continues, trying to use his charm of humour, which he does not even consider the backlash he might get for it. Neither Mingi nor Elenna laughed from his joke, turning his expression a bit sour.

"Where did you get that?" Mingi suddenly asks, his lips motioning the rifle slung over his body. The person laughs, before retreating to his usual expression. An expression that seems a little too hard to see these days. An unusual calm and possibly positivity radiates from this person. Mingi wonders if he saved the wrong person.

"My name is Wooyoung by the way," he says as he giggles, pointing to the rifle over his chest. "This bad boy was my father's. Well, it was actually meant to be passed to my brother but I guess fate has difficulty choosing the lucky guy."

Mingi's eyebrows furrow as he maintains a steady posture facing towards the guy. This Wooyoung, whom he barely knew. This Wooyoung seems to have too much positivity surrounding him given the context they are basically in a war between an unknown disease. 

"You stole it from him?"

"He died," Wooyoung replies nonchalantly, his fingers tracing the cold steel of the rifle before continuing, "just about 48 hours ago."

Internally, Mingi wants to rip his own mouth off him. Elenna cringes at the information before side-eyeing her brother, with a knowing look. They should have known when Wooyoung said it was supposed to pass to his brother. Mingi hangs his head low, feeling a bit guilty.

"Nope, do not say sorry to me. It'll only make things worse. I'd like to believe that he's still here somewhere so please, don't bother."

Elenna reaches for a bun in her bag that she keeps for dinner, before handing it towards Wooyoung. He looks at her with a confused look, before it slowly converges into a little smile.

"I'm sure he's in a better place now," Elenna says genuinely as Wooyoung accepts the bun. Mingi doesn't refute like he usually did when Elenna tries to interact with people, but instead he just watches. Wooyoung chirps with joy as he shoves the bun into his mouth in one go.

This Wooyoung guy seems to be no threat to them at all.

The situation out from the rubble seems to have already died down as no more gunshots noises visit their ears. All the three of them decide to stay there for a few hours until Mingi confirms that it is safe for them to go out on their way. He holds out a hand and Elenna catches it in time, pulling her out from the ruins of the wall.

Wooyoung smiles at the sight before he moves to get out from the rubbles himself. Dusting off the dust on his pants, he looks up to see both Mingi and Elenna freeze in their stances. He merely laughs seeing them being still so rigid around him as he tries to push Mingi's shoulders playfully.

"You know, friend, you still haven't tell me your name—"

His laughter dies out. A circular object rests directly on the back of his head as he moves, freezing his whole body into ice. He can feel the tip of a rifle pointing at him, and he knows it all too well it's not just one. It almost feels like he is ascending to another world.

"One wrong move, and these two people will be the last thing you see."